This invention relates to a brace system for maintaining the trunk of a young tree in a substantially vertical position. More particularly, it relates to a self contained unit having an annular collar which fits an upper portion of a tree trunk, and has a plurality of metal legs extending downwardly therefrom which attach to a circular base which is fastened to the ground.
It is well known that young trees frequently do not have sufficient trunk strength to maintain an upright position, particularly when the wind blows. Young trees grow upwardly quite quickly, and develop substantial foliage, but do not develop sufficient trunk thickness and strength to prevent the tree from bending or blowing over. As a result, a number of guying systems have been developed to brace the tree trunk to maintain it in a vertical position. The most common guying system consists of several stakes which are placed at a distance from the trunk around the periphery of the tree and are pounded into the ground, with a series of ropes or wires extending from the stakes to tree limbs or around the tree trunk. This type of system has created difficulties, first because the wires are often invisible and may cause injury to children or animals, and secondly because the wires or ropes are abrasive to the tree bark during the natural movement of the tree and cause damage to the tree surface. Accordingly, most of the developments in guying systems have been directed to some sort of improvement in the collar portion which actually contacts the tree. For example, Cartwright, U.S. Pat. No. 720,667 discloses a series of concentric collars fastened around the tree which attach to a vertical stake driven into the ground along side the trunk. Lichtenthaler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,822, discloses a method of attachment of a tree trunk to a vertical stake with a strip of resilient material. Lucia, U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,090 discloses a particular collar for use with guy wires which will disengage from the tree after a predetermined expansion of the tree trunk. German Pat. No. 2,407,496 discloses a plurality of rigid legs which are set in concrete which attach to a collar mechanism and prevenl the tree from moving from side to side. Heinecke, U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,759, discloses a plant support which consists of a bottom pan having a central opening and three upwardly converging legs which provide supports to which a growing plant may be tied as its vertical growth increases.
A number of patents also disclose devices which surround the lower portion of tha trunk of a growing tree in order to protect it from damage caused by lawn mowers, animals, insects, and the like. Some of these devices may also provide a water retaining portion at ground level to ensure adequate water supply to the tree. Examples of these patents include Clines, U.S. Pat. No. 514,306, Rowe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 369,616, Daniels, U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,837, and Scharf, U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,992. In general, the devices disclosed in these patents are designed to simply protect the bottom portion of the tree from injury, but do not provide any support to maintain the tree trunk in a vertical position.
The brace of the invention is easily made from a few pieces of inexpensive metal, and is reusable. It consists of an annular sleeve or base portion fabricated from two mated semicircular parts and two upwardly extending brace portions. Each brace portion comprises a single piece of metal rod which is bent to form a pair of substantially parallel legs having a half loop portion extending outwardly and perpendicularly from the legs. Two opposing brace members are fastened together with a pair of clips, with the two half loop portions forming an entire loop or collar which extends around the trunk of the tree. The circular base is anchored into the ground but preferably extends slightly above ground level, thereby retaining moisture and mulch. The support rods or legs are sufficiently strong to maintain the trunk in a vertical position, yet are sufficiently flexible to permit a certain amount of trunk movement which is beneficial to the tree. A simple rubber guard which extends around the loop or collar portion at the top of the brace protects the trunk from damage caused by contact with the collar.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tree brace for young trees which is self-contained, easy and inexpensive to fabricate, and which is reusable. It is a further object of the invention to provided such a tree brace having a base portion which can hold water and mulch material to assist the growth of the tree. It is yet a further object of the invention to provide such a brace having a collar portion which is nonabrasive and will not damage the tree trunk. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof.